The Proverbial War - Page 61/141

He stooped down in front of me and retrieved the gun and something else, which I took to be my glasses. I refrained from asking for them back even though I desperately needed and wanted the clarity of sight that they afforded me.

He was the one calling the shots now. Vaguely I saw him slip the pistol into his waistband and then I saw him fold my glasses and stick them in a pocket.

So he was going to punish me with near blindness. I swallowed any objections away that I had to his actions though. I got the impression that I should just keep quiet right now.

His hands engulfed my upper arms and he almost pulled me off my feet as he brought me up onto tiptoe to stare point-blank into my eyes. His grip on my arms hurt, but again I remained silent of any protest.

This close to his face I could see every detail of it clearly. Up close I could see fine and he was very close.

He held me so close that I was firmly pressed up against him as our silent staring match continued unabated. The physical contact with him sent a thrill of awareness through me the likes of which I had never experienced before. I swallowed reflexively as I did my best to meet his steely gaze even as I felt my perceptions of almost everything changing.

"If you ever……"His words trailed off even as his face expressed the emotion of the words left unsaid.

I quickly nodded my head in acceptance of the fact that I was never going to double cross this man again.

In full conciliatory style I said, "I'm sorry!" This man could have been eaten while he lay down and out cold and yet he'd saved me from being eaten instead.

His eyes gazed deeply into mine and some part of my acceptance of him as my headship must've shown through as he let me settle down to my feet. He was still angry, but he wanted something more from me than just to take out his vengeance.

I had important information to relay to him and I awkwardly spilled it out in my need to end the silence, "There's a dinosaur not far from here. It might be coming back here because of the shots!"

His big hands released me as he said, "Plant eater. Harmless to us unless we get in its way. We need to get back to the ridgeline though before something else does show up. Make sure you keep up with me, because I'm not coming back for you again!"